August 10, 2009

The impact of refugees on Australia has been significant

A
refugee is defined as any person who owing to a well founded fear of being
persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a
particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his/her
nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail
himself/herself of the protection of that country (). Refugees can obtain
permanent entry to Australia through the Humanitarian Program. The Humanitarian
Program has two components: offshore resettlement that is being offered to
people in humanitarian need abroad; and onshore protection for those people
already in Australia who arrived on temporary visas or in an unauthorized
manner, and who claim Australia’s protection ().

The
Australian Government has an obligation, under international law, to provide
support and to make sure that a refugee is not sent back to his/her country of
origin without consent. Australia’s involvement in refugee resettlement is an
important contribution to global efforts to find solutions for victims of
persecution and war. Australia’s Humanitarian Program offers resettlement to
refugees and others overseas who are in need of humanitarian resettlement and
for whom other durable solutions cannot be found. Resettlement provides a lawful
and orderly means by which people in need of protection and durable solutions
can seek to come to Australia. Australia’s resettlement program is one of the
principal ways in which it contributes to the system of international
protection. Australia resettles refugees and others who are overseas through the
offshore component of the Humanitarian program. The offshore component of the
Humanitarian program (or resettlement program) assists people who are subject to
persecution or substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of human
rights in their home countries and have fled their mistreatment. The program is
designed to ensure that places available go to those in greatest relative
resettlement. As an active contributor to the system of international
protection, Australia has consistently promoted the strategic use of
resettlement to respond to long standing refugee situations. Over the past six
decades, Australia has given new opportunities to more than 675,000 refugees and
humanitarian entrants. These people have made valuable contributions on
Australian life and society by bringing new ideas and new skills (). The
Australian Government is commited to increasing the settlement of entrants under
both Humanitarian and Migration Programs in regional locations, to decrease
pressure on major metropolitan cities, contribute to the long-term development
aims of Australia’s regional towns and cities, and help to address labor
shortages in these areas. Regional Australia may provide the best settlement
opportunities for some humanitarian entrants, particularly those who have come
from rural backgrounds or who have skills suited to employment opportunities
available in those areas. The Australian Government is seeking to establish new
regional humanitarian settlement locations, where appropriate services and
opportunities exist or can be developed, in close consultation with state,
territory and local governments, service providers and key local stakeholders.According to , Chief executive officer of Refugee Council of Australia, any
process of resettling refuges from protracted conflicts brought challenges,
particularly in the short-term as former refugees adjusted to life in a new and
different land. The experience across the country shows that Australia is
well-equipped at supporting refuges through the adjustment phase (). The
Department of Immigration provides funding for the refugee resettlement
program. The refugee families are given assistance and the government provides
aids to help the refugee families to set up. The local volunteers on the other
hand are responsible for helping the refugee families assimilate ad adjust to
the communities.(). Some Australian communities have some concerns
regarding accepting refugees in their towns. The town of Tamworth is wrestling
with a decision by its council to reject the settlement of five refugee families
from Sudan under a federal government funded scheme. Six of the nine councilors
who originally opposed the refugee scheme said they had reservations it would be
adequately supported (). Some of the concerns of the local community are
housing and employment, housing and crime. According to a refugee, “the people
of Tamworth think that we are lawbreakers and we are criminal, job stealers”
(). Refugees experience great social isolation, slow rate of English
acquisition and late entry into the workforce. The refugees are seen as posing
economic problem to the people of a community. Refugees are seen as a threat to
the economic well-being of the citizens in that they are seeking to steal the
jobs that properly belong to Australian citizens. This theft of jobs is also
often presented as having the effect of depressing the pay of Australian workers
because the refugee workers are prepared to work for far lower wages than are
currently being paid to Australian workers. The residents of Tamworth are also
concerned about the security in the community. Refugees often commit crimes,
they also pose a threat to the fabric of society, and that they are a drain on
the resources of the local social services. However, some communities
welcome and support the newly arrived refugees. Several business owners and
residents in Toowoomba support the refugee program. Some businesses offer job
opportunities to refugees (). Some refugees carry diseases and viruses
when they enter Australia. In order to prevent the spread of diseases carried by
refugees,Prime Minister said that Australia should deny entry to
refugees and migrants who carry the HIV virus. Official figures showed the
number of people with AIDS-causing virus moving to Victoria State had quadrupled
in the past two years and that some of these people were migrants. According to
, he would consider changing the law to prevent people infected with the virus
settling in Australia (). Refugee movements can threaten the core values
as well as the basic means of survival of the host community. Small groups of
technologically backward indigenous people are typically vulnerable to
in-migration from economically more advanced groups, especially if migration
takes place within the country and the migrants are supported or resettled by
the state in a particular area. Refugees threaten the identity, the economy, the
social cohesion, and, in the end, the very collective existence of the community
in the receiving area.

The Australian
system demonstrates a strong state interest in controlling immigration. Security
concerns about the number of arrivals have led the government to choose to use
the existing programme in an effort to confirm its control of the situation as a
whole. It is, however, questionable whether the departure from an orderly
arrival programme has been positive for either state or individual security –
even if it may give the individuals concerned more autonomy in actively seeking
asylum rather than quite passively remaining in line. This positive spin,
however, cannot outweigh the clear dangers associated with the use of smugglers
and hazardous crossings in overcrowded boats. Rather than obvious security
concerns influencing refugee protection policy in the Australian case, it seems
that the perception of an insecure border, demonstrated by the arrival of boats,
has driven policy changes over the years. This concern can certainly explain the
changes in policies; the bigger question for Australia is whether that is a
genuine security concern, or some kind of phantom that could be better managed
in other ways. The refugees that apply for Australian protection undergo a
selection process that is base on immigration officials’ perception of their
ability to assimilate to the Australian society. Many people are applying for
protection. The number of applicants for humanitarian visas are bigger than the
country’s quota making a selection process based on the perceived assimilability
of an applicant possible. Many refugees that are granted protection are not the
ones in need but rather they are the ones who have potentials to assimilate to
the Australian society and have the capability to resettle in Australia. The
refugees are selected by assessing their ability and potential to integrate into
the Australian society. The migration and refugee policy of Australia is
influenced by social cohesion. Most refugees in Australia have difficulties
assimilating to the society because of cultural difference. There are also
Australian citizens who have reservations about accepting refugees in their
communities. Major cultural and values differences are seen as the main causes
of tension between refugees and citizens. Some refugees are being discriminated
against. Some refugees are considered as job stealers and that they are burden
to the community. Some people view them as uneducated people who entered the
country to have a better life. Some refugees are discriminated against. Some
Australians believe that these refugees can be a threat to the security of the
communities where they resettle. Some of the concerns of the local communities
regarding accepting refugees are housing, employment and crime.